Actually Cool Things to Do When Someone Visits Nashville

When it comes to experiencing our hometown, we Nashvillians often fall victim to the old Yogi Berra philosophy of, “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.” But sometimes it takes a friend visiting from out of town to get us out of our funk, off the couch, and out enjoying the best of what Music City has to offer. There’s no need to wait for someone else to motivate you, though. Get out and explore some of these uniquely Nashville experiences (and don't skip our regularly updated events calendar filled with other fun activities in town, too).

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FreeForest Hills
Contrary to popular belief, it’s not just old birds and birders walking the trails around this suburban oasis. Thanks to miles of paths ranging from flat to challenging, nature lovers of all ages take advantage of the scenic beauty of Radnor Lake to stretch their legs and socialize. It has the added benefit of being a great date idea, as well as one of our very best hikes in the area.

Learn about Mick and Keith at the Musicians Hall of Fame

$$Downtown
Our very own Musicians Hall of Fame, a hidden gem of a museum in the basement of the Municipal Auditorium, honors the folks who put the music in Music City, and is one of our best attractions. Right now it happens to host the final US stop of “Exhibitionism: The Rolling Stones Exhibit,” a collection of memorabilia from the band that still rocks hard five decades after they first took the world by storm. Items on display include a toy drum kit that Charlie Watts used on “Street Fighting Man,” Keith Richards’ diary from 1963 and Mick Jagger’s book of handwritten lyrics for songs like “Miss You” and “Worried About You.” Other exhibits tell the stories behind rockers you've probably heard of -- from Jimi Hendrix to Garth Brooks -- and display many of the instruments that made their songs sing.

FreeEast Nashville
Walkers, bikers, and rollerbladers (still apparently a thing) all enjoy tooling around the flat paved trails of the Shelby Bottoms Greenway that winds along the Cumberland River and through marshy bottoms near river’s edge. A uniquely Nashville accomplishment is a sighting of the colorful golden pheasant that makes his home along the greenway. There’s even an online forum dedicated to sightings and questions about his well-being as a lonely bird. Once you're done there, head up to Butcher & Bee in East Nashville for one of the best brunches you can get in the city.

Stroll as you learn on any of our many walking tours

$-$$$Multiple locations
Despite all those hills, Nashville is still a pretty good walking city, and several different tour companies will be happy to lead you on a guided walk where you can get some exercise while discovering new facts about your town. There are tours focused on food, drink, music, history, and ghosts. When that double-decker tour bus goes creeping past, you’ll get a little smug satisfaction knowing you’re actually experiencing Nashville from street level.

Sip some Tennessee whiskey straight from the source

$Marathon Village
While the big boys Jack (Daniels) and George (Dickel) get most of the attention in the world of Tennessee whiskey, Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery has as much history as any of them, and is conveniently located right in town, rather than almost 80 miles away. Shuttered since Prohibition, the operation has been revived by brothers Andy and Charlie Nelson who have finally released their first products after years building the new distillery. They offer tours and samples every day.

Explore the center of East Nashville's hipster universe

FreeEast Nashville
Twenty years ago, there wasn’t much to see in Five Points except for the odd geometry of the intersection of multiple roads. Today it’s one of the cultural and entertainment hubs of the city, with the best wine store on that side of the river in Woodland Wine Merchant, a great neighborhood pizzeria in Five Points Pizza, a fine casual French bistro (and another of our best restaurants) in Margot Cafe, a bar where you can still smoke indoors in 3 Crow Bar, and a chill music venue in The 5 Spot Club. That’s just scratching the surface of Five Points. Discover the rest for yourself just by walking around.

$$Hermitage
If you're looking for a little presidential history in Nashville, you could do a lot worse than visiting the home of Andrew Jackson. The Hermitage, a stately mansion-turned-museum was the president's residence for more than 40 years, and now hundreds of thousands of visitors tour the building and the grounds every year.

$Hillsboro Village
Nashville’s oldest movie theater has been around since 1925, including acting as the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1934 to 1936. After a major refurbishing a few years back, the theater has been modernized into one the best places to watch a movie in town. Offerings range from art house films to documentaries to new releases.

$Multiple locations
No, golf isn’t just for rich country club snobs. Thanks to Nashville’s collection of great Metro Parks-operated golf courses, you can get in a quick round for less than 10 bucks if you’re willing to walk and carry your own clubs. And you should. It's exercise, it's outside, and even if you've never golfed once in your life, it's a relaxing way to spend an afternoon goofing off.

$$Nolensville Road
While the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere is a great place for families with all sorts of playgrounds and room for kids to run themselves to an early bedtime, adults can have a great time even sans les enfants. Divided into neighborhoods, you could spend a whole day exploring the habitats that house thousands of animals.

$Downtown
The lunch counter sit-ins in Nashville during the 1960s were some of the major turning points in the battle for civil rights in the South. Woolworth on 5th is a restaurant constructed on the site of one of those important lunch counters, and it is respectful of the building’s history. Serving soulful Southern food and featuring a playroom in the basement called the New Era Ballroom to showcase music ranging from jazz to swing to R&B, Woolworth on 5th is a blast from the past, and is already one of our best restaurants in all of Nashville.

FreeWest End
While it might seem quite incongruous that there’s a massive exposed aggregate recreation of a Greek monument in the middle of a city park, once you know the backstory, the Parthenon makes more sense. Nashville has been known as “the Athens of the South” for years thanks to the plethora of colleges and universities in town. So when it came time to celebrate the city’s centennial in 1897, an homage to the real Athens was logical. Even if you don’t buy that, it’s a great place to throw a frisbee and lounge about.

Hang out on the set of a nationally televised variety show

FreeMaplewood
Ex-American Idol contestant Kellie Pickler and YouTube sensation Ben Aaron are the hosts of the Pickler & Ben show that films just north of Downtown. They’re always looking for volunteers to fill the studio audience, and who knows, you might get to sample some food from a famous chef or get a free makeover.

Get down home at the center of the bluegrass universe

Free-$$The GulchThe Station Inn has been known as one of the premier venues for bluegrass music since opening in 1974. Name a famous act in the genre, and they’ve surely graced the small stage in the cozy club. There’s still live music every night of the week with a free bluegrass jam on Sundays. Bring an instrument and play along or just listen to local musicians jamming for the love of the music.

Free (if you know the secret)Donelson
The sprawling Gaylord Opryland Resort is a marvel of lovely excess, with multiple pavilions covering acres of land and almost 3,000 guest rooms. Like a premium casino resort without the clamor of slot machines, it’s a fantastic place to stroll around and people-watch, especially when the resort is decorated for various holidays. Pro tip: Avoid the exorbitant parking fee by parking at the back of Opry Mills Mall next door and walking a couple minutes to the resort’s Cascades Lobby.

$Music Row/Vanderbilt/Belmont
Belmont University is famous for being one of the top music and music business schools in the country, so it’s just logical that they should also house a collection of some of the greatest musical instruments ever crafted. The Gallery of Iconic Guitars (GIG) is the collection of guitars from a university benefactor who wanted them displayed and actually played after his death. From acoustic guitars to electric prototypes of famous axes, this is a gearhead’s dream.

$$Germantown
A night at First Tennessee Park watching the Nashville Sounds AAA baseball team play may be a blast in its own right, but if you head out to The Band Box bar and restaurant in right field, you might not even know when the game is over. Frozen whiskey drinks, comfortable couches, corn hole and putt-putt golf are all the distractions you need.

$$SoBro
Sure, the Bluebird Cafe may get all the screen time on Nashville the television show, but locals hardly even try to get into that Green Hills stalwart because it’s full of tourists. If you want to see talented songwriters performing in the round, The Listening Room Cafe in SoBro features similar talent, better food, and a more casual atmosphere than the OG at the Bluebird. They’re both great in their own ways, and if they're too crowded, check out our recommendations for any of the other amazingly fun bars in Nashville.

Design your own art crawl down Fifth Avenue

FreeDowntown
Lots of people hit the First Saturday Downtown Art Crawl, but it can get a bit crowded with patrons packed tightly into tiny galleries fighting for a free plastic cup of box wine. Instead, create your own itinerary by touring some of the eclectic galleries along Nashville’s Fifth Avenue of the Arts some other day of the month. Worthwhile stops include The Arts Company, Rymer Gallery, and Tinney Contemporary.

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$Pie Town
There are plenty of really good craft breweries in Nashville, but nobody combines good food, interesting beers, and a comfortable taproom any better than Tennessee Brew Works. The kitchen makes a point to incorporate their beers in most of the small plate options and in a noteworthy burger. There you can enjoy your food and drink while overlooking the modern brewing facility or on either of two outdoor decks.

FreeWest End
During the warmer months, Saturday afternoons in Midtown revolve around this free, family-friendly concert series in Centennial Park. Musicians make music, vendors vend, and fans fan themselves to keep cool on blankets stretched out in front of the two stages. Musicians Corner always showcases multiple acts including one you might have heard of and a few others you’ll know by next summer.

Take a drive down "The Boulevard"

FreeBelle Meade
In a town where old homes are constantly being torn down and replaced by four “tall skinnies” on the same lot, it’s nice to know that the opulent homes up and down Belle Meade Boulevard aren’t going anywhere. Drive the speed limit (because Belle Meade cops will not mess around) as you tour the strip and see the homes of the guys who probably own the banks that own the mortgage on your home.

FreeDowntown
You can expect an even more impressive experience once the Tennessee State Museum moves into brand new digs on Rosa Parks Blvd, but even in its current subterranean lair in the basement of the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, the museum offers some fascinating and bizarre artifacts. From an Egyptian mummy to a death mask of Napoleon to the dried thumb of a famous horse thief, you never know what you’ll find down there.

$$SoBro
Boasting the largest collection of Johnny Cash artifacts and memorabilia in the world, our Johnny Cash Museum and Cafe is much more focused than its larger neighbor at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Don’t plan on missing either one of them, but if you only have a couple of hours, spend the money on Cash.

$$Germantown
The Nashville Jazz Workshop is a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching and preserving the traditions of jazz music. They offer music classes to all levels of proficiency, as well as concerts featuring student ensembles as well as notable touring musicians. Admission prices range from free to cheap, so keep an eye on their performance calendar.

$$Germantown
The largest group of fanatics of the new Nashville SC soccer team calls themselves The Roadies, and their motto is an honor to the hard work of the crew that makes sure that the show always goes on, “First in, last out!” They sing and cheer through the whole game as they root on our boys in gold. You’re welcome to join them, but you’d better come ready to bring the noise!

FreeArrington
The owner of Arrington Vineyards is none other than Kix Brooks, as in “and Dunn,” so it’s no surprise that he would want to combine music with his wine operation. Every weekend, from April to October, Arrington hosts Music in the Vines where guests can picnic for free while listening to jazz and bluegrass bands around the property. You’re also welcome to buy a bottle or three to enjoy while you take in the tunes.

$SoBro
The Lane Motor Museum is a little-known destination in a nondescript industrial neighborhood south of downtown, but it’s certainly worth seeking out. Their collection of 150 unique cars, motorcycles, amphibious vehicles, and military transports includes rare examples and prototypes that you’ll never find anywhere else under the same roof. Its owner Jeff Lane has been collecting and restoring vehicles since he was a teenager, so you’re actually viewing his life’s work.

$$-$$$$Downtown
They don’t call the Ryman “The Mother Church of Country Music” for nothing. It is best known as the long-time home of the Grand Ole Opry, but through the years it has hosted eclectic musical acts ranging from Bill Monroe to Elvis (both Presley and Costello) to Widespread Panic to Foo Fighters. No matter who’s on stage, or even for a tour between performances, the Ryman is always a pilgrimage worth making.

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Chris Chamberlain is a food, drink, and travel writer. If Nashville was the Love Boat, he’d like to think he’d be Julie, your cruise director. In truth, he’s probably more of a Gopher. Join him on the Lido Deck on Twitter @CeeElCee.